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Loaded And Rolling

FreightWaves

Loaded and Rolling focuses on news, insights, analysis, and commentary on topics impacting enterprise trucking companies and their role in the supply chain.

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20 episodes
Avg 28 min
English

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October 6 · 25 min
Moving Beyond the Load: Redefining TMS with Network-Centric Intelligence
Host Thomas Wasson sits down with Drew Farwell, Chief Operating Officer at Midwest Carriers, live from the Barkcast booth at Trimble Insight 2026. Drew breaks down the operational philosophy behind his whitepaper, "The Next Generation TMS: From Load-Centric to Network-Centric Intelligence," and why traditional transportation management systems fall short in today’s complex trucking landscape. In this episode, they discuss: The Load-Centric Fallacy: Why viewing freight as individual, isolated transactions misses the bigger picture of round-trip costing, equipment moves, and total network efficiency. Asset Utilization & Unused Capacity: Managing drop-and-hook operations, reefer pre-cooling costs, trailer pools, and non-revenue equipment moves. Capturing "Commitment Intelligence": How tracking lost opportunities and unawarded lanes from RFPs helps carriers price smarter and optimize network health. The "Madden Profile" for Fleet Operations: Leveraging AI and predictive modeling to build individual driver and asset profiles—evaluating performance, safety, and operational fit like stats in a video game. The Future of Human-AI Collaboration: Moving dispatchers away from manual data entry toward high-level network orchestration. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 19 · 27 min
Automating Yard Operations and Gate Technology
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with Greg Akselrod, Chief Technology Officer at Outpost. They dive deep into the often-overlooked world of yard management, exploring how modern technology, AI, and computer vision are revolutionizing traditional gate operations and check-in workflows. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 4 · 30 min
Navigating Carrier Validation, Legal Rulings, & Freight Tech with Truckstop
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson is joined by Sean Dehan, Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Truckstop. Together, they dive deep into the changing landscape of the freight industry, exploring how brokers and carriers can navigate a post-Montgomery world, fight rising freight fraud, and adapt to shifting market dynamics. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 3 · 27 min
The Truck Whisperer: Turning Fleet Data into Action
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with David Blackwell and Akshaya Kumar from EROAD to discuss the evolution of the “Truck Whisperer”—the art of transforming overwhelming fleet data into meaningful business outcomes. As modern commercial vehicles generate upwards of 50,000 data points per day, many fleet managers find themselves suffering from “alert fatigue” rather than gaining operational control. David and Akshaya break down how to cut through this digital noise to find the “juicy nuggets” of actionable signal. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 17 · 15 min
What's New in The Used Truck Market
On this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with Steve Oliver of Taylor and Martin to unpack how shifting freight rates, tariff uncertainty, and lower diesel prices are reshaping the new and used truck markets. They explore how auction activity offers real-time insight into freight trends, why equipment scarcity is driving values higher, and how small and midsize fleets are positioning themselves for growth as optimism returns. Oliver also shares details on Taylor and Martin’s expanding auction footprint, major fleet dispersals, and a newly launched engine protection plan designed to give buyers added confidence in today’s evolving market. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 3 · 53 min
End of the Road: How the Trucking Industry Lost Its Soul
Trucking isn’t just a job—it’s a craft, a culture, and a way of life. In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Watson sits down with journalist and lifelong trucker Gord McGill to unpack how deregulation, automation, government policy, and the “driver shortage” narrative have transformed trucking over the past few decades—and not for the better. Drawing from McGill’s upcoming book End of the Road: Inside the War on Truckers, the conversation explores declining wages, rising safety risks, forced churn, and the erosion of driver skill and pride. It’s a candid, sometimes uncomfortable look at what’s gone wrong in trucking—and what it will take to fix it. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
January 27 · 26 min
How AI Is Transforming Fleet Maintenance: Cutting Road Calls from 13 to 2
At Trimble Insight 2025 in New Orleans, FreightWaves’ Thomas Wasson sits down with Brian Mulshine, Senior Director of Product Management at Trimble, to unpack how AI, integrations, and real-time data are reshaping fleet maintenance. From AI-powered road call agents and automated invoice processing to predictive maintenance, OEM deep-linking, and tire failure trends, this conversation dives into how fleets can reduce downtime, slash administrative work, and keep trucks rolling in a tight freight market. A must-watch for fleet operators, maintenance leaders, and anyone focused on keeping equipment profitable. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
January 20 · 31 min
AI Is Eating the Back Office: Trimble’s Spicy Takes on the Future of Logistics
Recorded live at Trimble Insight 2025 in New Orleans, FreightWaves’ Thomas Wasson sits down with Jonah McIntire, Chief Platform Officer at Trimble Transportation, for a wide-ranging and refreshingly candid conversation about AI, software, and the future of logistics work. Jonah breaks down how Trimble operates at the “plumbing layer” of the supply chain, why tools like PC*MILER are still the industry’s ground truth, and why many past tech hype cycles—blockchain, visibility, buzzword AI—missed the mark. He doesn’t shy away from the hard truth: AI will eliminate back-office jobs, even as it radically increases productivity and reshapes how logistics companies scale. The conversation dives deep into AI-written code, self-connecting systems, rewriting legacy software in days instead of months, and why Trimble is betting on AI colleagues—not just AI features. From creative destruction to AI agents interviewing for dispatcher roles, this episode offers a rare, inside look at how one of the largest supply-chain software companies is rebuilding for the next decade. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
January 13 · 23 min
AI in the Cab and the Back Office: Inside Trimble’s Vision for Smarter Fleets
At Trimble Insight 2025, Thomas Wasson talks with Trimble’s Rishi Mehra about the rapid evolution of fleet technology. They explore how AI is transforming route optimization, driver navigation, fuel planning, order intake, and back-office workflows—without replacing human expertise. From capturing dispatcher tribal knowledge to enabling voice-driven, in-cab AI copilots, this episode breaks down what’s real, what’s coming, and how fleets can unlock immediate ROI in a tight freight market. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
January 6 · 27 min
How AI & Cloud TMS Are Giving Fleet Operators Their Time Back
Fleet operations are moving faster than ever — and legacy systems can’t keep up. In this interview from the Trimble Insights Conference, Trimble CEO Rob Painter explains how cloud-based TMS platforms, agentic AI, and connected workflows are helping fleets cut hours of manual work down to minutes. The conversation covers real operational pain points like roadside breakdowns, tender processing, cybersecurity threats, and why AI should quietly solve problems instead of becoming another buzzword. If you run or support trucking operations, this is a must-watch. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 23, 2025 · 27 min
Making Safety Sexy: Inside Netradyne’s 10 Years of Video, AI, and Fleet Innovation
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with Adam Kahn from Netradyne to explore how the company has evolved over the past decade—and how fleet technology has changed right along with it. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Netradyne reflects on its early days in video telematics and the shift from basic visibility to true, AI-powered context. Adam shares how advancements in edge computing, multi-camera systems, and intelligent alerts are helping fleets move beyond reactive safety programs toward proactive coaching, recognition, and real driver buy-in. The conversation also dives into how fleets are using the platform today—from improving safety and reducing litigation risk to uncovering operational insights around loading, unloading, detention, fuel efficiency, and last-mile challenges. Adam discusses recent partnerships, evolving adoption strategies for driver-facing cameras, and why transparency and flexibility are critical to successful deployments. Looking ahead, the episode explores how generative AI and prompt-based video search are poised to transform fleet operations, allowing managers to ask smarter questions and get faster, more meaningful answers—without changing their entire business model. Whether you’re a fleet operator, safety leader, or technology enthusiast, this episode offers a forward-looking look at where video telematics is headed and how Netradyne is shaping the future of connected fleets. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 18, 2025 · 30 min
How to Stand Out in a Flood of Driver Monitoring Solutions with Dreyev
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with the team from Dreyev to discuss how their technology distinguishes itself in a saturated market of driver safety solutions. Thomas is joined by Maggie Stys (CEO & Co-Founder), Roberto Sicconi (CTO & Co-Founder), and Peter Smelzer (Fleet Risk Advisor) to explore how their platform detects and addresses distractions and drowsiness without relying on complex hardware installations. Topics covered in this episode include: Dreyev’s Differentiator: What makes this tech different from the flood of "driver monitoring" solutions currently available. Meet Walter: An introduction to "Walter," the platform's AI companion. A Supportive Skeptic: Peter Smelzer joins the conversation to translate technical features into real-world implications for carriers and drivers. Co-Driver Expertise: How the platform utilizes co-driver expertise to enhance driver safety. Guests: Maggie Stys: CEO and Co-Founder, Dreyev Roberto Sicconi: CTO and Co-Founder, Dreyev Peter Smelzer: Fleet Risk Advisor, Dreyev Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 12, 2025 · 35 min
Fighting fraud, carrier identity and new funding with Highway
In today’s episode, Michael Caney, Chief Commercial Officer at Highway joins us to talk about their recent funding, how they’re fighting fraud and the new release of their Trusted Freight Exchange. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 4, 2025 · 26 min
Trucking’s Two-Front War: Capacity Contracts And Costs Explode
The freight market is living a double life. On one hand, the domestic market is hitting the brakes, defined by shrinking truckload capacity and regulatory friction. On the other, global players and specialized sectors are flooring the accelerator on massive investments. In this episode, we dissect this "market schizophrenia". We look at how a 32% drop in new tractor builds and stricter enforcement of driver language rules are tightening the screws on capacity. We also explore the massive strategic investments happening in global air cargo, AI-driven safety tech, and specialized healthcare logistics. But as fleets fight for volume, they're also battling a two-front war. Michael "Mike" Precia, President and CSO of Fleetworthy, joins the show to discuss the other crisis: the compounding rise in essential costs. With truck insurance premiums up 43% in five years and toll costs doubling in the last decade, Precia argues that survival in this cycle won't come from waiting for demand. It will be won by fleets that master "fleet readiness" and gain visibility over the costs they can control. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 28, 2025 · 18 min
Driving Safety Forward: How PFG Uses AI to Protect Drivers and the Public
In this episode, FreightWaves’ Thomas Wasson sits down with Tio Tom, VP of Safety at Performance Food Group, to explore how one of America’s largest food distributors is transforming fleet safety. From combating distracted driving to detecting fatigue through AI, PFG’s data-driven approach has cut collision risks by more than 50%. Learn how technology, coaching, and compassion are reshaping safety across the industry. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 7, 2025 · 28 min
Hybrid Highway - The current state of the industry's Messy Middle with Sustainability and AI
In this episode of Loaded and Rolling, we're joined by Dean Marris, Chief Data Science Officer, and Craig Marris, Chief Sustainability Officer at EROAD, to discuss the intersection of sustainability and artificial intelligence in the trucking industry. They explore how fleets can leverage technology to navigate the "messy middle" of transitioning to more sustainable practices while maintaining profitability. Topics covered in this episode include: Digital Twin Simulation: Learn how fleets can use digital twins to test and de-risk the transition to alternative fuels and electric vehicles before making significant investments. AI for Efficiency: Discover how AI is helping to reduce waste in the supply chain, from minimizing empty miles to preventing food spoilage in reefers. Safety Innovations: Hear about the latest in AI-powered multi-camera systems that are improving driver safety by reducing blind spots and preventing collisions. The Power of Data Sharing: Understand why collaboration and data sharing between carriers, shippers, and OEMs are crucial for achieving industry-wide sustainability and safety goals. ⁠Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 30, 2025 · 27 min
How fleet safety technology makes fleets smarter and safer with Stefan Heck
In today’s episode Stefan Heck, CEO of Nauto joins us to talk about the technology and processes behind fleet vehicle safety technology and how artificial intelligence and machine learning are changing how fleets handle safety. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 23, 2025 · 21 min
Creating Safer Roads with Together for Safer Roads
In today's episode, Peter Goldwasser, Executive Director at Together for Safer Roads joins us to talk about how nongovernmental organizations are helping companies, governments, and communities improve road safety through technology and policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 9, 2025 · 28 min
Inside the Truck Auction World: Taylor & Martin on Remarketing, Value, and the Future of Fleets
On this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with Steve Oliver, VP of Sales and Marketing at Taylor & Martin Auctioneers, to explore the evolving world of truck and trailer auctions. From the shift to online broadcast auctions and their nationwide reach, to the strategies fleets use to maximize equipment value, Oliver breaks down why auctions are a critical pillar in the remarketing process. Discover how specialization, transparency, and strong buyer networks give fleets—from single-unit owner-operators to major carriers—a competitive edge in today’s market. Would you like me to make this punchier for a podcast platform (shorter, more dynamic), or keep it more professional and industry-focused for the FreightWaves site? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 2, 2025 · 28 min
Minutes Matter: Driver Recruiting Insights with Tenstreet CEO Tim Crawford
On this episode of Loaded and Rolling, host Thomas Wasson sits down with Tim Crawford, cofounder and CEO of Tenstreet, to break down the latest driver recruiting trends from their UConnect 2025 conference. From why minutes can make or break a hire, to how app-based communication is reshaping recruiting, Crawford shares data-driven insights on what carriers must do to attract and retain drivers in a tough freight market. Discover why drivers are shifting toward private fleets, how application behavior signals broader economic shifts, and what fleets can do to streamline their hiring process and stand out in a competitive labor market. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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